ELECTRIC BUS CONCEPT WITH INDIVIDUAL-WHEEL DRIVE AND X-BY-WIRE SYSTEM MAKES IT THE ULTIMATE CITY BEAST
Each wheel has its own motor, brake, and gearbox, and the REE XBW’s drive-by-wire, brake-by-wire, and steer-by-wire technology replace mechanical or hydraulic systems with electronic ones. This means you can design a bus with a steering wheel placed practically anywhere, giving it a sort of flexibility that other EVs don’t possess.
The bus itself has a slick design that oozes a sense of futurism, with an interplay of reflective glass and metallic surfaces, all combined in a mysterious monolithic black box on wheels. The bus’ design is a visual palindrome – it’s exactly the same on the front as well as the back, which means it can flip directions on command, traveling in reverse if needed. The bus’ drive-by-wire technology means the steering wheel can potentially be shifted from the front to the back too, helping it reverse orientation without doing a complete U-turn. Even if it did need to do a U-turn, the XBW has a ridiculously small turning radius, thanks to the fact that its wheels can independently face in any direction, helping the large vehicle make sharper, shorter turns at corners and around objects.
The REE XBW is currently just a conceptual vehicle, although its true purpose is to highlight REE Automotive’s REECORNER™ technology. The EV’s IWD and x-by-wire features give it unparalleled vehicular stability, responsiveness, and safety. This helps the XBW concept run flawlessly on roads, with the agility of a much smaller vehicle and the ability to overcome bad roads, tricky turns, and even slippery surfaces with relative ease.
